As many Star Wars fans are anxiously awaiting, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray today. A great first effort into the tales not involving a Skywalker and friends, it gives us a look into the bigger Star Wars universe, a universe many of us have played out in our minds with our beloved Kenner action figures.

However, being the first “standalone” film, the question is where it fits in the logical story order, and would it be a good film to introduce someone to Star Wars. For me and many or my friends, the Machete Order (link) is the new gold standard for watching the movies. For those unfamiliar, Machete starts with episode IV (Star Wars: A New Hope), followed by episode V (The Empire Strikes Back), II (Attack of the Clones), III (Revenge of the Sith), VI (Return of the Jedi), VII (The Force Awakens), etc. with episode I (The Phantom Menace) being able to be viewed at any point, or not at all. This viewing order makes the best sense, preserving the famous twist from episode V, while giving the plot points of the prequels a little more weight.

To fans, it’s simple: Rogue One belongs just before episode IV. The movie leads right into the opening scene of the 1977 classic and they tie together beautifully. It is also good enough to bring in new fans to what many of us loved when we first saw a Star Wars movie. But how about the non-Star Wars fan, or someone who has never seen the films before? I asked my buddy, Robert, that very question as he just introduce his friend, Lyra (name changed to protect the innocent), to the saga in the last couple weeks. This is what he found out.

First movie: Rogue One – A Star Wars Story

“First 30 minutes I found to be very confusing” says Lyra, echoing a critique even Star Wars heavies like Rob and myself have. “[But] the next hour and a half were very entertaining, and I knew what they were trying to do. It was very good and deeper than I imagined.” Mission accomplished, Rogue…Rogue one. But dat last scene, tho! “Then the last 2 minutes happened and I was as confused, or more confused than at the beginning.” Lyra had witnessed something Star Wars fans had been clamoring for since the announcement of the prequels, SPOILER ALERT, Vader goes Vader. Now to a non-fan whose first run is this movie, it seems to come out of nowhere. But after discussing it with Rob, that’s a good thing. “The confusion had her intrigued. She didn’t know who this guy was, why he was going crazy, and what the deal was with the ‘light sword’. From that point on she wanted to see more.” And there is no better feeling than hooking in someone new. Onto the classics:

Second movie: Episode IV – Star Wars: A New Hope

“WOW, this is much more layered than I thought it would be. Good characters too. I liked it. You were right, it’s more fantasy than sci-fi.” Yes Lyra, the original brought people in with amazing characters and lore that you can easily lose yourself in.

Third movie: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

“No. I am your father!” Lyra slowly turned her head with eyes wide open and mouth falling ajar. “WHAT!?” That was the general reaction when many people saw it for the first time, in the most critically acclaimed film in the series. “This is so much deeper and layered than I ever thought it could be. And ‘I Love you, I know’ was hilarious!”

Fourth movie: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

“I like this. I hope they get together.” Interesting. As the first “flashback” episode in the Machete Order, it gives insight into who Anakin Skywalker is and who he becomes. Trust me, it works this way. “What’s with all the hands and arms being chopped off?” Don’t worry, it’s a Star Wars thing.

Fifth movie: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

“More Hands being cut off!! I think that was my favorite so far! I really knew what was going on and could follow it very easily. But it is DARK! And Luke and Leia are twins!? WOW! I LOVE Yoda!” Yes, this is considered the best of the prequels and a favorite amongst many of the more recent fans. This is also where many of the older fans expected to see the badass Vader that we ending up seeing in Rogue One. Better late than never I guess.

Sixth movie: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

“This is by far my least favorite of ALL!! Jabba is disgusting. This whole thing is horrible!” Usually intergalactic gangsters get more respect. But once the first act was done Lyra liked that the movie got back on the Skywalker track. “Ok so I am liking this MUCH better since they left Jabba.” The struggle with Luke and his father, temptation from the Emperor, and the ultimate redemption won Lyra over. “WOW, so I started off hating it but I think now it’s the best one!”

Seventh movie: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

“I’m a little confused with the new characters but I really want to know who Rey is!” Lyra enjoyed it but has many questions, and like the rest of us is anxiously awaiting the future episodes.

The Floater: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Rob hasn’t shown Lyra this one yet. Mainly because in the grand scheme the movie has little impact on the overall story. It’s a nice intro to some of the characters, but the timeline difference between this and episode II makes anything that happened inconsequential. If anything, The Phantom Menace could be the first real Star Wars standalone movie.

So, there you have it. A new fan’s point of view on seeing the greatest saga of all time. Lyra did mention to Rob that she would like to marathon watch the movies, and Rob is considering trying a different order. Experiment with chronological order, release date, or even watching the trilogies separately. Find what works for you. And if you haven’t seen it on digital download yet, get the DVD or Blu-Ray as Rogue One may very well be your favorite Star Wars movie yet.

Haven’t seen Rogue One yet? Lucky you it comes out on DVD today and here’s one of the trailers.

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So, I know I’ve been active on Facebook Live, focusing on my Spanish show Time for Cafecito (Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9am on Facebook), but I wanted to check in with you, who reads me in English. I am slowly trying to separate the pages into Spanish and English but for now is a blend just my family.

Not a lot has gone down. I miss writing, I really do, but live is so much fun. The interaction with the audience is so awesome. Sometimes the broadcasts are crazy and they suck- but for the most part, we have fun. If there is anything that makes me proud about the show is that I have been able to hold on to my authentic self (sorry if this sounds to hipster for you). Is hard when you work in social media to stay true to yourself. Slowly videos start becoming productions, posts turn into short novels and pictures a work of art, comparable to those of professional photographers. It’s hard ya’ll. And is competitive AF. Which is honestly, the main reason I decided to just focus on broadcasting and doing it in my language. It’s been a real evolution to find my happy place in social media. And although it’s been a very very very slow growth I love turtles and don’t mind slow. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Anyways just wanted to check in. Say what’s up? I’m still here. I still read messages on all the platforms, but really focusing about 90% of my energy to Facebook. To be completely honest, I have absolutely NO ENERGY to focus on 7 platforms at the same time. I truly admire those who do. I am working on a lot of small projects that take insane amount of work, including my health journey. These are also the last couple of months I will have alone with G3 so I’m trying to soak it all in. Is really about priorities. So yes, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat will have to wait (hopefully they’ll still be around when I get back to them).

It’s almost Spring people! I can smell the spring even through the snow and ice. And I can’t wait for what the rest of the year has in store. This year has been off to a great start so of course excitement awaits.

Please fell free to reach out if you want me to write about something or translate. Also I am still working with expecting and new parents as a concierge. So if you know anyone expecting, send then this way! There’s a lot of baby shows coming up that they might be interested in.

Anyways, hope you are all having a great year and are holding up in these crazy times.

xoxo,

Gemarla

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A tale of a girl who falls in love with a beast after learning to love beyond appearances. I was VERY VERY excited for this live action movie. As a true Disney fan, I was counting down the days. And last night I had the chance to screen it. And my initial reaction, was blah. Why? Is not a horrible movie. As with all Disney movies it was done beautifully, but to me it lacked more than it gave.

The GOOD: This movie is a visual masterpiece. From the cinematography to the visual effects, there is beauty in every image. The colors, the animation of the characters, the costumes, it was pure perfection. I have no doubt there will probably be a few Oscar nominations for this remake. I think the most talked about issue of the movie, the inclusion of a gay character (Le’Fou) is also a positive thing. Why I didn’t mind the gay character? It is Disney’s way to move forward with changing times. And to those who argue that there is no space for gay characters in a Disney movie? You need to take a seat. Yes, this is a Disney movie. But if your concern is about a guy giving another guy googly eyes and not of the other topics in the movie, you have a problem. The scenes in question are not obvious to a kid and unless you are absolutely looking for the scenes you will miss them. Plus, I appreciated the diverse cast.

There are new songs and a few new scenes which go a bit more in-depth into the story of the main characters. And for all those concerned about the violence in the movie, is really not that dark as earlier reviews say. If your child has seen the likes of Jurassic Park or even the Jungle Book, the scariest scene with the wolves is absolutely nothing.

The BAD: There is really nothing new. Except for an explanation of the moms death, the story is exactly like its animated origins. Let me explain. This is not Disney’s first live action remake, so yes, I was expecting something different and exciting. With Cinderella and Jungle Book, Disney was able to give us something new while staying true to the original, but with Beauty and the Beast there was nothing new. Which takes away from reliving the experience.

Yes, there were new scenes but not enough. Not even 1/3 of the movie is different from the original, so there was no surprise, except the new songs. One of the new songs in particular, was completely unnecessary and I really wish Disney had cut that scene out. It made the movie feel more like a Broadway play than anything else.

The characters felt disconnected. Compared to their originals, who really brought life to the characters, this time around, they fell short. Although I absolutely love Emma Thompson, there’s no way her character was even close to Angela Landsbury performance in the original. The same can be said for Gaston and even the Beast.

Overall: I had really high expectations of this movie. From the trailers and earlier reviews I was hoping to be AMAZED. I expected to feel like I did after Cinderella and I didn’t. Is it a terrible movie? Not at all. It’s still entertaining and visually stimulating. There is something to be said about the amount of trailers and the fact that there’s no new story or byline that innovates or elevates the story. If you are an original Beauty and the Beast fan, you will love it. If you’ve never seen the original, you will love it. If you are like me, who enjoyed the original and was really hoping to be blown away by the live action then not so much.

I didn’t bring my kids, as I really don’t think is a kid friendly movie. Not because the gay character or the scary wolves, just in general the real topic and story of Beauty and the Beast is a bit intense for 6, 5 and 3 yr old. Yes, they saw the original, but being animated really makes it more kids friendly than its live action counterpart. Did it amaze me? Not at all. I was completely disenchanted with it. I was hoping for so much more and I was left wondering what the amazement of everyone else was. And you all know my love for Disney and everything they do, but with this movie I feel they missed the mark.

I still encourage everyone to go and see it and come to your own conclusions, like I mentioned before, it’s still a beautiful movie and does justice to its original script.

Here is one of the official trailers for the movie.

Disclosure: I was invited by The Moms to a special screening of Beauty and the Beast. A lot of people have warned me against posting negative reviews about Disney movies and such since I would love nothing more than to work with them. But, I have to be honest with my audience and myself. I can’t say something was absolutely amazing and blew me away when it didn’t. I have to speak the truth about how I felt about this movie and this was it.

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Well 2016 is done and I am pretty sad. Unlike the hundred of people who wanted 2016 to be done because the amount of bad things that happened, I actually didn’t want 2016 to end because I’m not ready for the bad things that could happen in 2017. Anyways… I usually do our year in review and I think 2016 was pretty freaking awesome. I debated whether to write this in English or Spanish, but figured more people will read in English.

Anyways here’s a short recap of our year.

January was amazing because we celebrate Glenn’s and my moms birthday and we finally booked our first trip to the west coast. I have never been to there so planning it was pretty fun.

February was a bore.

March: OMG March was AMAZING. Like AMAZIIIIIIING. We traveled to LA. I had the chance to go to We All Grow and see my brother (who is an awesome tour guide BTW). During our time in California, we did soooo many things. We visited Long Beach, Los Angeles, I got to see the Hollywood sign, Santa Monica Pier, we drove to San Diego. During our time in San Diego, we visited Old Town, Julien and my favorite the Imperial San Dunes. Seeing a dessert was beyond an incredible experience and being there during a sand storm was beyond cool (although dangerous). Of course, we couldn’t go to California and not visit Disneyland Resort. I have so many mixed feelings about our visit. I have yet to expressed them in written form.

April was just great because is always great to celebrate another year married to an incredible man. 2016 marked our 15th year together and our 8th year married. I can’t believe I love this man so much.

May: May brought news. Some sad news and some good news. Sad news: my sister was moving away mid-summer, not close by but to Texas. This is my best friend, and the mom to the only 2 nieces and 2 nephews I have. But on the other hand, my brother, was trying to come back to the East Coast.

June was CRAZY! My little sister, my baby was graduated high school and my birthday and my first-born graduated kindergarten. Like, when did this happen? Duh, June. It happened in June. Oh and yes for the first time I participated in the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Not participate as in go, but actually be part of a float, thanks to George Torres, the Urban Jibaro from Sofrito for your Soul and Capicú.

July: I said by to my sister and her kids. And in the process, died a little. I am extremely attached to my family, not having them close has been devastating for me. Oh and for the first time I took the kids to the beach in NYC. And it was amazing to see their love for the ocean. It filled my heart so much that they loved the water and the sand.

August: Holy SMOKES, my parents have been married for 35 freaking years! Like that is amazing. And not only that, my first-born turned 6… and I am starting to change. It was in August, that my awareness became heightened. Having a black husband and the political chaos of the elections is starting to mess with my mind. We also enjoyed our annual trip to the lake. Going to the lake is always so much fun and it gives us a little time to breathe. It’s always so relaxing to be by the water and in the clean air of the mountains.

September: WHAAAAAT? I officially have 2 kids in school- FULL TIME. First grade and my second born started pre-K. And I was so worried for him, but no, the dude LOVES school. Even has groupies. September also took me back to my beloved Island. And uff, the feelings were beyond what I’ve felt in a loooooong time. The last time I was there was 2013. I was pregnant with my baby girl. I was there for a funeral. So, this trip was MAJOR. I was going by myself, for the first time. I went to check out PR BloggerCon, and I was pleasantly surprised.

October: DISNEYYYYYYYY, by myself. Ok, well not Disney but LATISM, which was at Walt Disney World Resort. To say the conference was amazing is an understatement. The conference was full of great information on how to use social media for SOCIAL purpose. Focusing on the elections and the importance of the Latino vote. It was also a great moment to connect with new influencers and to spend some quality amazing time with some lovely people. FYI, Disney was AMAZING! Got to meet Elena of Avalor and cried! Seriously cried. I couldn’t even hold my composure. It was such an epic moment. I was moved to my core. I felt the connection. It was, dare I say, magical!

November: Can we not talk about November.

December: this December was the definition of an emotional roller coaster. I had no idea I would be so affected by the election results and would be so political about the state of our country says the political science major! In happier news Grace turned freaking 3 years old. Like, how did this happen. I have no idea. I still see a baby. I just birthed her!

As everyone was ready to quit 2016, I wasn’t ready. I’m still not settled on this 2017. It took forever to write this post, even though I started it over 2 months ago. I figured, better late than never. These posts serve to remind me of our year. And see it with different eyes and compare it. Each year, does keep getting better. So even as I struggle to see the positive to come in the political and social area, I can see how our family is living each moment to the max. At the end of the day that is my main purpose. We could be gone tomorrow so I want to enjoy today.

There is so much left to do. So many goals not accomplished last year. But it is with the most confidence I can say, we did everything we possibly could. Every day was lived and enjoyed. Everyday included smiles and hugs and love. And is my wish to continue to live this way into 2017.